The German Cup kicked off this past weekend with four Americans in action, but Matt Taylor came up biggest leading his team to an uspet of German giants Werder Bremen with a hat-trick.

Preußen Münster 4 - 2 (a.e.t.) SV Werder Bremen

Matt Taylor went ballistic on Sunday, bringing Munster back from a goal down twice, before setting up a third and scoring a fourth as the 3rd division troops eliminated Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen.

Taylor started and played all 120 minutes on Sunday alongside striker Dima Nazarov.

The guests from Bremen went ahead in the 44th minute as Eljero Elia curled a beautiful right-footed effort past Munster keeper Daniel Mausch.

Taylor pulled Munster level in the 54th minute, getting behind the Werder defense before cutting inside of and past keeper Sebastian Mielitz to tap home into an empty net.

Bremen retook the lead in the 67th minute as Marko Arnautovic crossed and found German striker Niclas Füllkrug unmarked in front of goal to head home easily.

Taylor struck back for Munster in the 82nd collecting a cross in the box, before deftly pirouetting past Sokratis Papastathopoulos and slotting home on his left.

With no winner decided after 90 minutes of play, the match headed into extra time.

In the 96th minute, the underdogs took the lead for the first time as Nazarov took a feed in the left side of the box from Taylor and deftly curled a one-time shot on his right past Mielitz.

Taylor made it academic in the 118th minute completing his hat-trick by cutting to his right from the left flank and confidently firing home from 13 yards out.

Taylor and Munster take on Heidenheim on Saturday when 3.Liga play resumes.

FC Nöttingen 1 - 6 Hannover 96

Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 easily dispatched 5th division side FC Nöttingen in Hannover's first competitive match of the new season.

Cherundolo started and handled the captain's duties going 90 minutes in the first round of the German Cup.

Sergio da Silva Pinto put the guests from Lower Saxony ahead after 27 minutes with a left-footed blast from 25 yards out that left keeper Sascha Rausch spectating. Da Silva Pinto added a second finishing off a quick counter attack in the 32nd.

In the 46th minute, Hannover all but put the game to bed when Leon Andreasen headed home da Silva Pinto's corner.

The 5th division team got on the board against in the 53rd to give their fans something to be proud of, as Leutrim Neziraj beat Ron-Robert Zieler to the keeper's right with his left.

Before any real belief in a miracle comeback could develop, Hannover added a fourth goal with Jan Schlaudraff firing home easily in the 55th minute after Mohammed Abdellaoue split two defenders with a slick back heel.

Konstantin Rausch made it five in the 79th, cleaning up after keeper Rausch parried, and Schlaudraff tallied for the second time four minutes later to wrap up the day's scoring.

Up next for Cheundolo and Hannover is the Bundesliga opener against Jermaine Jones and Schalke on Sunday.

Wormatia Worms 2 - 1 Hertha Berlin

Alfredo Morales was a second half sub, but could not help Berlin avoid being upset as they fell to fourth tier team Worms on Sunday.

Morales came on at the beginning of the second half for Marcel Djeng at left-back.

It took Worms all of 240 seconds to get on the board. Martin Röser was in behind the Hertha ranks, when he was fouled by keeper Philip Sprint; Tim Bauer converted from the spot to give the home team the lead in the 4th minute.

Berlin equalized in the 64th minute through Sandro Wagner, who chested home after a corner skidded across the face of goal to the wide-open striker.

Worms, however, were not to be denied as Romas Dressler reacted quicker to the ball than Morales beating keeper sprint for the winner in the 82nd minute.

Berlin and Morales take on Jahn Regenburg this coming Friday.

NOTES:

Jermaine Jones was not included in the Schalke 04 starting lineup, who thumped Saarbrücken 5-0 on Sunday.

David Yelldell was an unused substitute for Bayer Leverkusen's 4-0 victory over Carl Zeiss Jena.

Danny Williams, Fabian Johnson and Joeseph Gyau were all excluded from the lineup for Hoffenheim on Saturday, who were pummeled by 4th division team Berlin AK 07 4-0.

Andrew Wooten did not make the lineup for Kaiserslautern on Sunday, as they beat Rostock 3-1.